Ontario bringing high-speed internet to Niagara

From the office of Sam Oosterhoff, MPP Niagara West.

Fenwick - As part of the Ontario government's plan to build Ontario and its commitment to connect every community to broadband internet by 2025, construction is underway to connect more than 4,800 homes, farms and businesses in Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, West Lincoln, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls, Pelham and Wainfleet, to reliable high-speed internet services by December 2022.

This $17.9 million initiative to build three new infrastructure networks in Niagara will help ensure that farms and businesses in the region will have the ability to attract new customers, grow their business, create new jobs and stay competitive in an increasingly digital marketplace. Families in these communities will also be able to have confidence in knowing that connectivity will be available when they need it to access services, renew their driver's licence, shop online, and do homework or work from home.

The expanded fibre-optic service is supported by the governments of Canada and Ontario, each committing $3.5 million. The contracts to expand broadband services were awarded by Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT), a not-for-profit corporation, initiated by local municipalities to address connectivity in unserved and underserved areas of Southwestern Ontario.

The provincial funding was announced today by Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, at Accipiter Radar Technologies in Fenwick.

"Since first being elected, I promised to advocate for investments in rural broadband," said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West.

"The commitment today to expand broadband Internet in Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, West Lincoln, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls, Pelham and Wainfleet, will soon connect more than 4,800 homes, farms and businesses to reliable high-speed Internet services in December 2022. I will keep working with my colleagues, the Minister and Parliamentary Assistants for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, to invest in rural broadband in Niagara."

"Today's announcement is a concrete step towards bringing fast, reliable internet to eight additional communities in Niagara, allowing them to have better access to essential services,” said Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, on behalf of Hon. Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.

"Our government will keep working to connect all Canadians, here in Niagara and across the country, to high-speed Internet."

More than $255 million has been invested by the Governments of Canada and Ontario and the private sector, to bring high-speed Internet to more than 58,000 households and businesses in Southwestern Ontario through SWIFT.

"In today's digitally driven economy, having access to high-speed Internet is essential to ensuring future economic growth and development in small-towns and rural communities," said Gary McNamara, Board Chair of SWIFT.

"In efforts to drive greater connectivity throughout Southwestern Ontario, we are pleased to mark the start of construction, in partnership with the federal and provincial governments, on three high-speed fibre-optic networks within Niagara, that will deliver improved connectivity to more than 4,880 underserved homes and businesses throughout Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, West Lincoln, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls, Pelham and Wainfleet."

By drawing on the collective voice of municipalities, fast reliable Internet service will be brought to communities across Southwestern Ontario," said Robert Foster, Councillor for the Regional Municipality of Niagara and Board Member of SWIFT.

"I am proud of this legacy. This is a great start, and I thank the Ontario government and MPP Oosterhoff for advocating for the expansion of rural broadband. I look forward, both as a SWIFT Board member and as a Regional Councillor, to the next steps to bring improvements across Niagara."

"The expansion of high-speed Internet to Fenwick is great news for our local families, farms and businesses," said Marvin Junkin, Mayor of the Town of Pelham.

"I am glad there will be shovels in the ground on this project very soon."

"Over a decade ago, Accipiter invested in expanding the Niagara Regional Broadband Network fibre infrastructure from E.L. Crossley Secondary School to its facility here on Highway 20 in Fenwick," said Dr. Tim Nohara, President and CEO of Accipiter Radar Technologies.

"I am pleased that this investment is now being leveraged to bring service to residents to our immediate North and West. That's what shared infrastructure is all about.  Thanks to MPP Oosterhoff and all levels of government for working to improve our local infrastructure."

Read the release here.